


Medusa (your one stop apothecary and charms shop)

by JayneRogue



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, I love backstories, I'll put warnings at the start of each part, Kinda, POV Second Person, Slice of Life, bad habit of mine heh, but ultimately deviated too far from it lol, inspired by VOODOO, quite a bit of blood and gore I guess, this is the result of me getting distracted by VIXX, when I should have been working on my three billion Bangtan fics, with a lot of backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-24 14:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12015102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayneRogue/pseuds/JayneRogue
Summary: Seven lives. A single tale of demons inherited.In a world twenty light years, three dreams and a fairy's breath away was a world quite alike ours, yet different in many ways. For one, magic ran the blood of humans green. For another, demons -- with their cursed blood of red, red rubies -- were bound to the whims and fancies of their mastersforever.And so it was that a young girl found her hands full with six demons and a family business at the tender age of nineteen years and nineteen days old when her family burned to the ground alongside the family home.





	1. Fire and Bruises

**Author's Note:**

> I
> 
> I am very guilty of starting a new story when I have like three billion more on the backburner. But I couldn't resist; this was turning out too well and. Well. I felt like there aren't enough VOODOO themed fics on the net. Or at least, on Ao3, since here is pretty much my only haunt these days.
> 
> As usual, I can't make too many promises with this. I wanted to post this as a one shot so that I can avoid any incongruencies, but I'm also impatient, so I've finally consented to post this in three parts. Hope y'all enjoy ^^
> 
> Since this is targeted to be a slice of life kinda fic (the life of a girl running an apothecary with her demons anyway), I won't mind incorporating ideas from readers, so spam away in the comments section if you think you've hit jackpot with an idea. :D Happy reading.

_**Heads up;** this fic mentions attempted fatal poisoning, quite a bit of blood, hints at suicidal(?) tendencies, also mentions a home burned to cinders so. Be warned._

* * *

You wake to the delicious smell of breakfast. It takes your sleep befuddled brain a full minute to decide it is something that involves bacon. Another minute later, your brain finally catches up with the rest of your body, and only then do you realise you have somehow drifted into the kitchen, still in your pyjamas and with your blanket wrapped around your shoulders, sniffing happily at the air. A little mortified, you shake yourself out of it and sit at the dining table instead.

As if on cue, the chef responsible for the heavenly flavours permeating the air turns around, a plate in one hand and a large pan in the other, and approaches the table. He slides the plate in front of you and skillfully tips the contents of the pan onto the plate.

Your gaze flicks up from the bacon fried rice to be met by sharp, cat-like eyes scrutinising you from across the table. As usual, the gaze was filled to the brim with an intensity you have come to associate with him and only him.

You sigh and rested a cheek on a palm, free hand coming up to pick up the spoon set out next to your plate. You pause just before taking the first bite.

"Thanks for breakfast, Taekwoon. You poisoned it, didn't you?"

Taekwoon says nothing and continues to look at you unblinkingly.

"I'll take that as a yes," you nod, more to yourself than anything, and finally fed yourself the first spoonful of fried rice. "Mmm, this is delicious. I will never regret putting you in charge of cooking. Your cooking is to die for. Literally." You grin at your joke. Taekwoon does not look the slightest bit impressed, which makes your grin widen.

The last thing you register before you black out is someone else entering the kitchen, still clad in a too large sweater and rubbing sleep from their eyes.

* * *

When you come to, it was to the feeling of being wrapped in gentle warmth. Blearily, you blink away the headiness clinging to your eyelashes and peer up at the shadow to your right. With much effort, the shadow finally resolves itself into the concerned face of one Lee Jaehwan.

"You're awake!" he exclaims unnecessarily as you blink drowsily at him. Your limbs feel weak, and there is an echo of an ache to every little movement you make.

"Hurts," you manage to croak out. Your dry throat protests. "Water."

Hastily, Jaehwan hands you a clear glass of water from your nightstand. He doesn't speak until you have downed the entire glass in one go.

"Taekwoon poisoned you with a nerve paralysis kind of spell. You're lucky Sanghyuk got to the kitchen in time. What were you thinking? You knew the fried rice was poisoned, yet you ate it."

You hum in assent. "You know I've never been mightily invested in keeping myself alive. And anyway," you add, voice turning soft. "Taek gets punished enough as it is. I don't like seeing any of you suffer, you know that."

"But still," Jaehwan protests. "You were risking your life just for that? You know what happens to us if you die!" He lowers his voice then, but his tone never lost its urgency. "You know it's not as Wonshik hopes. We don't get set free when the last of the bloodline dies. We fade along with the blood."

You grin then, but it is a weary grin, a half-hearted attempt. "Well, at least Hakyeon will get his wish."

Jaehwan makes a frustrated noise, but tries to calm himself and reclines back into his chair. "What kind of master sacrifices herself for her demons?" he huffs.

You can't help the amused smile that creeps onto your face. "You love me regardless."

Jaehwan merely looks at you stonily. "A demon cannot love, dove. Do not let the crooning of Sanghyuk get to your head."

To this, you sigh. "Let him decide what he can and cannot do, Jae. You know he has always been different, for a cursed demon. And perhaps there is the capacity to care, somewhere deep in your cursed soul." You reach out despite your aching muscles to touch his arm, the closest thing you could reach, and noted with mild delight that he did not pull away. You ignore the tingling that pricks at your fingers, a muted response to pain by a nervous system that has not fully recovered. "And caring is close enough. Not love, but close enough." 

Jaehwan sighs, resigned, and gently nudges your hand away. It is not a _don't touch me, I need not your concern_ but, rather, a _stop hurting yourself_ , and so you obediently retract your outstretched hand. You catch a glimpse of charred fingertips as you fold it under your other hand.

Jaehwan is still staring at you, his gaze unreadable yet so heavy with meaning. "You're too kind and vulnerable to be a master of six demons," he finally exhales softly.

"So you keep telling me," you reply, amused. "But I do perfectly fine. I've been doing perfectly fine for the past three years, my beautiful diamond."

At the pointed look Jaehwan sends your way, you laugh. "I am still alive, am I not?" You ignore his muttered protest of, "Only because Sanghyuk is adamant about not letting you die." and wave him towards the door. "Now leave. I need rest if I am to get the spell completely out of my system. Tell Hongbin to man the shop until I can come down. Also, tell Hakyeon we need to restock on the empty charms. I will charm them later, he just needs to get the empty charms for me."

Jaehwan nods and disappears with a soft whisper of brilliant flames. You note the new burn marks on the previously occupied chair and close your eyes nonchalantly. Sleep claims you soon after.

* * *

_It is almost suffocating, the way the silence blankets the idyllic countryside once the raging fire has died down._

_To you, the silence is mocking. There is a numbness in your heart that is barely keeping the emotions at bay, and your hands shake slightly as they clench at the edges of the thin blanket wrapped around your shoulders. The light embrace of the blanket barely serves to imitate the comforting touch of a fellow human, but it is all you have, and you cling desperately to the warmth._

_Not that you are cold. Not in the slightest. Not with the heat still curling off the unrecognisable, blackened wreckage that was once your house._

_(Not a home, but a place to return to, nonetheless.)_

_A slight gleam catches your eye as you shake like a leaf in the autumn wind. Your eyes widen slightly, and with a kind of desperate fervour, you scramble towards it without a second thought. Scrabbling through the charred wood and brick of what you would later recognise as the study, your fingers connect with something that burns so hot it feels cold, and you jerk your hand back at the sudden jolt of pain._

_Three feet to your right, flames burst forth out of thin air, and if you weren't so numb perhaps you might have jumped in shock. As it is, you merely turn your gaze to the man that has materialised out of the flames. A turtleneck of deep burgundy hugs his lean shoulders, paired with a pair of tight but comfortable looking black jeans and white sneakers. A detached part of you noted that he was surprisingly attractive, the way his sharp angles cut a juxtaposition against his soft, almost-fragile features. If he had been clad in white, perhaps one might mistake him for an angel._

_But you knew better. You have seen him a grand total of three times in your life, though each time had been brief. Your mother's brother rarely visits, and when he does, he was not fond of calling forth his demon should the situation not warrant it._

_"Lee Jaehwan," you find yourself croaking around a throat that is too tight, and the demon's eyes flit from the remains of the house to meet yours. For a moment you are frozen in place by the flash of flames that dance behind his eyes, but they quickly fade, as if the demon had sensed your discomfort and reined them in._

_"Dove." His voice is soft, hesitant, with the barest hint of a childlike lilt to it. "You're alive." It wasn't a question. It was an observation._

_At his words, something in you threatens to break the illusion of peace that has settled over you. You turn away from him and, ignoring the burning pain, pull a red gemstone out from where it is nestled between chunks of burnt wood. The diamond sizzles against your palm before you drop it onto the grass by your side. It lands right on the tip of a single dry leaf. Immediately, the leaf bursts into flames and burns to a crisp, crackling slightly as it curls in on itself. You hold back a sob as a thin sliver of smoke dances away from the ashes._

_Jaehwan is by your side immediately, though he does not touch you. "Your hand," he intones, concerned._

_You turn your palm upwards. The skin is dry and blistered, burnt raw and red. Underneath, the flesh looks tender._

_"Fire," you tell no one in particular. It comes as no surprise to you. The three times that you have seen Jaehwan, he had always been wreathed in flames._

_Jaehwan says nothing, waiting, instead, for you to say more. When you say nothing, he picks up his diamond and cradles it in his hands, then shows it to you like an offering._

_"You need to bind me to your service, dove. Then you can at least hold my diamond."_

_Your eyes widen with alarm and you instinctively sway backwards, landing hard on some half-burnt bricks. Your hands are held before you, palm facing outwards, as if that would shield you from Jaehwan and the diamond._

_"No," you tell him, voice just a little too loud and too hoarse. "I'm not gonna -- I'm not _stealing_ from my uncle. I won't steal his demon."_

_Jaehwan looks at you, and there are a million emotions and nothing swirling behind the striking brown of his irises. "You won't be stealing, dove," his voice is soft, but his words are too loud. "You'll be inheriting."_

_"No!" you gasp, and this time you are aware of just how loud you are. "He's not......they're not......" _He's not dead. They're not dead._ And yet, the words won't leave your mouth. "This......this is a mistake."_

_For a heartbeat, Jaehwan seems nervous, gaze flitting about as if looking for something. Then, his eyes return to you. When he spoke, his tone was gentle, but his words were harsh._

_"It is not a mistake. They're all dead. You know it. You need time to reconcile with that fact, but time is not a luxury we have. You _have_ to bind me to your service." Urgency bleeds into his tone, and finally you catch on to the nervousness that he has kept hidden the whole time._

_"What is it?" you ask, demand, and because you share a blood with your uncle, Jaehwan is still obliged to answer with the truth. He grimaces._

_"It was not me who set fire to your house, but it was a demon. Another demon, who had orders to finish off your whole family. Since you're still alive, his job is not done yet. He will be back any time to finish off the job. And I can't protect you if you don't bind me to your service."_

_"Another demon," you repeat dumbly, mind reeling._

_He hesitates, but seem to accept that you need the push. "Yes. And he is no stranger to your family."_

_It takes a total of two heartbeats for the meaning to sink in. It takes one and a half heartbeats for a second demon to leap out of the darkness, a silent shadow aiming for your throat._

_Jaehwan does not even allow you time to scream; one moment you are both huddled on the ground, smeared in ash and smoke, and next you have been tossed bodily six feet behind him, landing heavily on your front. Your blanket had saved you from the worst of scrapes and scratches, but it takes you a moment to regain your breath and turn to face the hissing and spitting coming from your left._

_The demons are fighting, and it wasn't immediately obvious if anyone had the upper hand. Flames lick off the edges of Jaehwan as he struggles to pin the other demon down, while the latter seems more intent on getting to you, his unblinking eyes never once leaving your face even as his arms busy themselves trying to twist Jaehwan's limbs into unnatural angles. His sharp gaze sends a chill down your spine, and it is this that jerks you out of your stunned horror._

_"Jung Taekwoon!" You imbue as much power as you can to your words, willing the demon to obey his name as a command to still. His movements come to a stop jerkily, and you count your lucky stars that you have always been on good terms with the demon._

_It was his master -- a distant relative of yours -- that had always been less than friendly with your immediate family._

_"Jung Taekwoon," you say again, tone brooking no argument, and Taekwoon flinches slightly where he stands, frozen. Jaehwan disentangles himself from the other demon, panting softly, and winces as his arms drop to his side._

_"Jaehwan," you say, never once breaking eye contact with Taekwoon. Your tone is light, but there is an unmistakable steel to it as you borrow strength from the severity of the situation. "Find me Taekwoon's stone. It is a rutilated topaz. His master never parts from it, so perhaps you are more likely to find it where the bodies are."_

_Jaehwan hesitates, resisting the command just long enough to move somewhat mechanically to your side. He holds out his diamond, eyes imploring you to take it._

_Unwilling to look away from Taekwoon, you hold out your uninjured hand instead. It jerks involuntarily as the red gemstone lands in the palm, and, resolutely blocking out the pain, you wrap your fingers around the diamond and mutter the words that would bind Jaehwan to you and your blood forever._

_There is no flash of light, no bang or smoke; nothing, really, to indicate the bond had been formed, but the burning in your palm stops instantly, to be replaced by a gentle warmth that is still too painful for your burnt hand. You allow the diamond to fall from your hand unceremoniously. It rolls off, slick and sticky with your blood._

_"Go, Jaehwan," you order again, and this time he walks off without delay. In the silence that follows, you continue to glare at Taekwoon and pretend your hand isn't shaking as blood drips off drop by slow drop._

_By the time Jaehwan returns, your hand had mostly stopped shaking, and it feels more disgusting than agonising as the blood begins to dry between your fingers. From the corner of your eye, you can tell Jaehwan is grimacing as he holds out a clear stone marred by lines of gold. You do not know exactly what Taekwoon's aspect is, but you know he is a true demon, so you can only assume that his stone is affecting Jaehwan in a wholly unpleasant way._

__If it was unpleasant for a demon......what would it be like for a human?_ _

_Steeling yourself, you hold out your bloodied hand and wince as the stone drops onto the tender flesh. For a moment, it seems nothing is wrong._

_Then, a dull pain begins burrowing itself under your skin. Hastily, you repeat the words used to bind a demon to your blood and allow the blood-stained stone to roll out of your palm to the grass. Across from you, Taekwoon appears to sag with relief as the tension bleeds out of his body, though he remains standing, his eyes trained on you. You risk a glance at your hand._

_In between the charred skin and raw flesh, what little skin that had survived the red diamond is tinged green and blue. Bruised, then._

_Wincing, more at the sight of the bruises than at any real pain, you look back up at Taekwoon. The demon is hugging himself, slender fingers plucking slightly at the long sleeve of his black sweater. Despite how small the action makes him look, he still sends a chill down your spine as his sharp, cat-like eyes peer out from between the curtains of his long hair with an intensity that spoke of the danger of crossing him._

_"What is your aspect?" you ask the demon, refusing to be intimidated. He might be a true demon, but he is, ultimately, now _yours_._

_When he replies, his voice is surprisingly feathery and soft, pitched higher than one would expect of a creature straight from the depths of hell._

_"Deceit."_

_You frown, not quite connecting deceit with bruises. "Just deceit?"_

_"Enslavement. Hidden wounds. Piercings. And all other related aspects."_

_"Hidden wounds......" you mumble. Jaehwan winces empathetically._

_Now that the immediate threat has been mostly neutralised, you realise for the first time how tired you are. The shock and fear had had you running on adrenaline that is beginning to fade, and the toll of binding two demons to you in one night is accelerating the exhaustion. Gingerly, you sit up and scoop both gemstones into your less injured palm. You ignore the tingle of pain and made a mental note to heal yourself tomorrow, when you will be well rested and not so depleted of magic._

__Speaking of resting......_ _

_"Jaehwan. Taekwoon." Both demons make no move to acknowledge your words, but really, they do not need to. Their eyes are already trained on you like cats on prey as it is._

_"I am exhausted, and both of your powers are of no help to me tonight. You are both dismissed until I next summon you." You look at Taekwoon sharply. "Do not attempt to approach me in any way prior to being summoned."_

_With one last glance at you, both demons incline their heads in submission. Jaehwan erupts into silent flames, disappearing in a flash of light and heat. Taekwoon simply fades, snatched away by the night. And then silence reigns once more._

_Wearily, you stand and slip the gemstones into the pocket of your pyjama shorts. Tugging the torn blanket tighter around your shoulders, you stumble off into the night._


	2. Cat and Dog

_**Heads up;** there are mentions of what can be described as a panic attack, as well as......glass shattering? Not too sure if that triggers anyone, but just in case; you have been warned._

* * *

"I......I'm just here for m-my mother's potion......"

You sigh as you enter the shop front, not bothering to look up as you tie on your apron and eye the cardboard box shoved under the counter. You bend down and reach for the box, feeling two pairs of eyes on you.

"Stop scaring the customers, Bin," you say absently, flipping the box open and humming with satisfaction as you poke at the empty charms. Hakyeon had always been a highly efficient errand boy. You stand back up and dust your hands, turning to the only other person on your side of the counter. "It's bad for business."

Hongbin grins at you, all sharp teeth and Cheshire humour. "Sure thing, princess."

You roll your eyes, but can't quite help the wry smile that tugs at the corner of your lips. Picking up a tall glass bottle from the shelves behind the counter, you turn back to the front, quickly swapping the small grin for a suitably professional smile. A young girl, perhaps thirteen years of age, stands fidgeting on the opposite side of the heavy mahogany furniture. A small pouch with a silver clasp is clutched firmly in her left hand.

"Don't mind him, Yewon," you advise, leaning over the counter to wink conspiratorially at her. "I won't let him hurt you."

Yewon steals a nervous glance at Hongbin behind you (no doubt still with his signature unnerving grin stretched across his lips) before catching your eye and giving you a firm nod. "Okay. I believe you. Thank you." Her voice is soft and small, but without the quaver with which she had confronted Hongbin earlier. You raise your eyebrows appraisingly and hand her the heavy bottle.

She fumbles a little with the bottle, not expecting it to be quite so heavy, but manages to manoeuvre it into the crook of her right arm. Then she hands you the pouch in her other hand.

The pouch snaps open as it touches your skin, and you pour its contents out into your other hand. Satisfied with the silver pieces you counted, you hand the pouch back to Yewon. She shoots Hongbin one last nervous glance before bobbing her head slightly at you in thanks and hurrying out of your shop with a soft, "Bye."

Yewon's mother is a regular customer of yours, but despite Yewon's frequent errand runs to your shop, she still isn't used to the fear-inducing presence of Hongbin. Not that the demon himself tries to make it easier for her; in fact, he's more than happy to tease and watch her fumble with her words and composure.

As you turn to pull another bottle off the shelf, arms snake around your waist, and you are pulled back into something solid and relatively cool. Hongbin rests his head on your shoulder nonchalantly and begins humming a random tune. Immediately, shivers ripple across your skin with an unpleasant iciness, the kind that one feels when dreading something feared. Your heart rate shoots up to the roof as adrenaline swamps your system, and your brain blares _red alert!_ Your fight or flight instincts go into overdrive and sends everything into a heightened frenzy of awareness and tension.

For a millisecond, you are frozen in place by extreme terror. And then your mind catches up with the situation, and you manage to roll your eyes with a sigh.

"Bin, it's too early in the afternoon for me to die of a heart attack. Are you actually _trying_ to kill me?"

You can see Hongbin pouting thoughtfully in your peripheral, in complete contrast with the danger your body is trying to convince you to see.

"But I just wanna cuddle......" he whines.

"Yes, well." The fear flooding your body was making it a little hard to think. It was also making it a little hard to breathe, but that was hardly the point. You make yourself draw in a deep, shuddering breath to clear your mind. "A plain, normal cuddle is fine, you know I'm used to that, but I can't help but notice you've amped up the fear factor, you moron."

When Hongbin speaks, you can hear the delighted grin in his voice. "Really, now? I was beginning to think you were, y'know, maybe getting immune to me?"

You make a frustrated sound. The fear was starting to cloud your mind.

" _Hongbin_ ," you grit out, both a plea and a command. Immediately, the suffocating pressure lifts, and you can breathe again. The fear doesn't fade completely, but it's reduced to a bearable level, something you were used to dealing with. In fact, for you, it feels more like anticipation than true fear.

"You're no fun," Hongbin complains, put off.

You take a deep breath to calm your racing heart before temporarily releasing your hold on the bottle one hand at a time. The bottle hovers in midair as you flex and unflex your fingers, easing the tension in them from clutching the bottle too tight. Finally, you hold the bottle again and slip out of Hongbin's embrace to place it on the counter.

"Hongbin," you begin with a mildly wry smile, but then your gaze meets his and your expression turns exasperated. " _Hongbin!_ You didn't put on your contacts again, you jerk. How many people did you scare while I was upstairs, dying?"

Hongbin blinks at you innocently, but his pupils, now a demonic cross rather than the regular orbs of humans, scream anything but. "I'll have you know I was perfectly civil to your customers," he tells you haughtily. You roll your eyes and chuck the nearest thing (your 500 pages thick accounts ledger) at him. He bats it away easily, Cheshire grin back on his face. "Not that there were many. Little Yewonnie was only the second customer."

"Oh? Who's the first?" You pick up the ledger from where it had fallen on the counter next to Hongbin. It was splayed open, and as you move to close it a new entry caught your eye. You frown.

"Bangtan? Seokjin was here, then?"

"Mmm," Hongbin hums, somehow managing to make it sound like a lazy drawl. "I told Hakyeon that you would want to deal with this, but he insisted on dealing with it himself." He makes no effort to hide his delighted sneer.

You frown at the book before you, then abruptly flip it shut. You gesture vaguely before picking up the bottle again, and it is a testimony to how well Hongbin understands you that he languidly picks up the box of empty charms and follows you through the doorway to the back of the shop.

From the shop front, all a customer can see through the charmed doorway is endless darkness, so empty it looks almost solid. Behind the veil, however, lies a vast room that functions as your workshop. Shelves line the wall on either side of the room, while the far wall is choked with vines and creepers of various shades of black. The ceiling does not appear to be there, replaced, instead, by a dim white light, just bright enough to illuminate everything, but not enough to cast strong shadows. A large oak desk takes centre stage. Around it, various equipment and apparatuses hiss and fizz; on the desk, on the ground, even in midair, creating a melodious cacophony of tinkling and whirring. You sidestep a huge self-stirring beaker and set the bottle down on the desk, next to a slip of paper.

"Hakyeon," you call out as you skim through the contents of the paper, still frowning slightly. The space next to you barely ripples before a crimson hole _rips_ into existence, as if the very fabric of reality is sliced apart, and out steps Cha Hakyeon in all his red-headed glory. He smiles softly at you, hands tucked into his pants pocket, before his gaze switches to Hongbin next to you and the smile immediately sours to a scowl.

"Ugh," he greets. "So, I assume we're gathered here to deal with the charms?"

"I wouldn't be so irritable if I were you," Hongbin responds mildly, though there is a challenging gleam in his eyes that he has always reserved solely for Hakyeon. "But then again, it's not like I'm the one in trouble."

Hakyeon frowns then, but one look at your face and the frown disappears. His eyes widen, dawning realisation stark on his face.

"Oh."

Hongbin smirks, looking like a cat that got the canary, and you decide that enough is enough. Dealing with your demons always comes with the possibility of a minor headache, but when both Hongbin and Hakyeon are involved, a metaphorical migraine is practically guaranteed. Before Hongbin can say more, you take the box from him with one hand and wave the other hand at him in clear dismissal.

"Enough, Hongbin. The counter isn't going to man itself, and _someone_ still hasn't put on their contacts yet," you say pointedly.

When Hongbin smiles at you, it is tight with irritated reluctance, though it lacks the malice directed at Hakyeon just milliseconds ago.

"Sure thing, princess." He turns one last sneer on Hakyeon, demonic eyes flashing with distaste before promptly vanishing in a flurry of shattered glass.

You set the box down next to the bottle and hold up the slip of paper between two fingers. "At least you had the decency to leave me a note." Your gaze is sharp, expression neutral, as you stare at Hakyeon.

Hakyeon looks mildly apprehensive, but his back is straight and his gaze firm as he speaks. "I did what I thought was best for the business, princess." Your mind barely acknowledges the stark contrast between the way Hakyeon says the nickname and the way Hongbin croons it anymore, used as you were to the finer details of their differences. "Seokjin made a very......generous, offer, on behalf of Bangtan. I accepted."

"Should I remind you, once again, how dangerous dealing with Bangtan can get?"

"I am aware." Rather than deflate, Hakyeon appears to regain some of his confidence at your question. "I have questioned and probed him for potential loopholes. The deal appears to be clean and clear-cut." He hesitates, but ultimately continues. "Also, I trust Seokjin. More than the rest of Bangtan. You know he has always been......soft, where Jaehwan is involved."

You sigh softly through your nose, but do not deny his claim. "Very well. What is this deal about that it involves our _very_ expensive and _very_ scant stock of crushed blood diamonds? He bought _two-thirds_ of what we had. I want to believe that maybe Seokjin was just working on a personal project without his master's knowledge, but this is too large a sum not to involve his master."

Hakyeon visibly winces. "Yeah, well, about that......it would appear Kim Taehyung has something earth-shattering in mind, and would like to enlist our business as one of his partners. Buying the crushed diamonds is both a necessary ingredient as well as a political handshake."

" _"Earth-shattering"?_ " you repeat, eyebrows travelling further up your forehead with each passing second. "How "earth-shattering" are we talking? I do not think I like the combination of that with Kim Taehyung, I'll be frank, but I'll hear you out."

"I believe he intends to investigate...... _deeper_......into the demonic realm."

You freeze then, for the briefest of moments, before your head tilts disapprovingly as you level a look at Hakyeon, the rest of your body remaining unnaturally still. His expression is closed off, unreadable, but with how long you have known Hakyeon, that in itself is something you read as easily as an open book.

"You weren't thinking of the business when you agreed to the deal." Your voice is soft, gentle, and every bit as accusing as you want it to be. "Not directly. You were thinking of us. All seven of us."

Hakyeon inclines his head a fraction of an inch, unblinking eyes watching you cautiously, empty expression a louder confession than any of his actions.

"Sneaky," you comment softly, tone still measured and mild. "I'll give you that. Twenty-one years and you still manage to find small and big loopholes in my control."

A gleam of amusement dances in his eyes, one that says _I have centuries of experience under my belt, darling._ You hear it loud and clear as a church bell and close your eyes briefly.

"Alright," you finally exhale, opening your eyes. "Put me in contact with Kim Taehyung. I will personally discuss this with him. You are, henceforth, in no way allowed to communicate with him, whether directly or indirectly, any and all information, unless with my clearly stated permission."

Hakyeon nods with a soft smile, the very same one that had encouraged you to stand on your feet throughout your childhood, the very same one you had grown up seeking comfort and reassurance from. In this moment, you do not think you have ever despised it more.

"I hate when you play games like this, Hakyeon," you sigh without bite, knowing your words will never make a difference. You may be his master now, but he had as good as been your nanny as you grew up, and perhaps part of the human parental instinct he retained, locked forever in time, had been activated somewhere along the way. To him, you will always be a child that needs to be prodded in the right direction, and while it is annoying that he occasionally likes to take matters into his own hands, he has mostly been respectful of your decisions. For him to get such a large, and potentially disastrous, snowball rolling......you can only hope his judgment was once more right.

* * *

_"Utility bill, utility bill, spam mail, utility -- Hakyeon, why are we getting charged for electricity? We barely even use it anymore."_

_"That would be the previous bill, princess. I did tell you to get rid of it once it was paid, but I suppose you "haven't gotten round to it yet"."_

_You glare at the deadpan expression Hakyeon had on his face. "Don't mock me, Hakyeon. Just because you had a hand in raising me does not give you the right to sass me."_

_Hakyeon nods. "But it does give me the right to nag you. Not that you ever listen to me."_

_You roll your eyes and probably would have thought of a clever little comeback, if you weren't distracted by the next letter. You frown as you pick it up, noting the way it immediately bends, as if something heavy in the letter had gotten stuck in the corner of the envelope not supported by your hand._

_"Hakyeon, did Sanghyuk order something online?"_

_When Hakyeon didn't immediately reply, you glance to your left to find him staring at the letter apprehensively._

_"......no. Not that I am aware of, and I am aware of a lot of things. But that thing......I do not feel good about this. Maybe you shouldn't open it."_

_You stare at the envelope. It was made out of a fancy material that wasn't thick enough to hold up the heavy object within, but just thick enough to hold up the thin patterns embossed into its edge. Your name and address was printed onto the front in green cursive, and when you flip the envelope around, there was no return address._

_Against your better judgement, you ignore Hakyeon's words and slipped your silver letter opener under the flap of the envelope. Severely underestimating the strength of the material, you struggled with the envelope for a bit before it bursts apart in your hands, sending the contents flying. A flash of yellow, a cold touch on your hand, and you yelp as sudden, inexplicable terror coursed through your body._

_As you snatched your hand back from the glittering gemstone, several things happen at once. The air shifts for a millisecond, a feeling you have come to associate with your demons appearing, and the hair on your arm stand on end. Hakyeon tenses up, hackles already raised, growl tearing out of the back of his throat. A beautiful tinkling, like the sound of a million shattered hearts, sound to your right, and a flurry of broken glass materialise out of thin air, crashing onto your kitchen floor a split second later to reveal a demon dressed in black._

_There was no mistaking the demon for anything else. His black shirt was torn in places, revealing pale skin underneath that was embedded with a galaxy of shattered glass. Underneath his long fringe, the single, exposed eye stares unerringly at you, a maniacal glint reflecting off the cross pupil exclusive to demons._

_Next to you, Hakyeon bristles. With a snarl, he leaps at the newcomer and bowls him into the wall. The demon merely hisses back and disappears into another flurry of glass, reappearing almost instantly to your left. Hakyeon picks himself up among the glass shards, ignoring the way his blood begins to paint them red, and is about to launch himself at the demon again when you hold up a hand, a voiceless command to halt._

_"Demon." You allow your voice to ring out strong and clear, imbuing it with the power in your veins. The demon hasn't moved from where he had reappeared, still standing in a half-crouched position and staring at you with unnerving interest. "State your purpose, or begone from this residence."_

_The demon stares at you and slowly begins to smirk. Hakyeon shoulders himself -- with no small amount of grace -- between you and the demon so that you are partially obscured from view. Mentally, you do a quick rundown of all the demon banishing spells you know, wondering which would work more effectively on this demon if push comes to shove._

_"My name is Lee Hongbin." His voice is befittingly deep, though perhaps a touch light for his dark demeanour. His lips curl."I believe I have been summoned to serve my new master."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnnnd I! AM! BACK! Did you miss me, my lovelies? Not that there are many of you, and I don't even know if any of you are gonna turn back up to read this part, but hey, for what it's worth, welcome back! I know, I know, again with the long ass terrible hiatuses. Honestly, I think my author integrity has pretty much gone down the drain before I even started. But enough ranting from me. I am not here to tell you that I have just faced a crazy (and I mean C R A Z Y) year in uni and I have completely lost my touch in writing, so it's a miracle that this even came out. I am not here to tell you that it will probably be another long freaking wait till the third and final part comes out. And I am most certainly not here to tell you that I have been feeling strangely down and lifeless recently, which is why I would absolutely love if someone would talk to me about VIXX and Bangtan and all things fanfic!
> 
> Which, come to that, leaves me with surprisingly little to say to all of you. Really sorry about that. Hope you enjoyed the ride so far, and till next time! <3


End file.
